Early diagnosis of cancer can greatly improve survival rates, with health centers utilizing the latest technology to ensure identification of the condition is achieved sooner. Cancer diagnosis machines are at the forefront of this technology, which emphasizes the importance of smooth manufacturing operations when producing such equipment. When one leading manufacturer was experiencing downtime due to fastener issues, they contacted Optimas to help improve productivity.

The manufacturer was suffering between 15-30 minutes of downtime on a daily basis, with the entire production line coming to a halt in such circumstances. The fasteners were identified as the cause of the stoppages: certain components that were installed via airgun presented multiple issues. Firstly, fasteners were becoming jammed during installation into the machine’s sheet metal. Furthermore, fasteners were becoming stripped of their coating, and in more severe cases, the applied torque was forcing the airgun out of the operator’s hands, causing health and safety concerns.

Optimas was contacted by the manufacturer due to a proven track record of developing and supplying fastener solutions globally to OEM manufacturers of medical equipment. The business operates a vast component portfolio, backed by a highly efficient logistics network that blends global capability with local points of contact. Often consulted at the initial design stage of projects, Optimas was a logical choice to tackle the challenges presented by this particular component.

Working closely with the manufacturer’s engineering teams and the part supplier, Optimas fastener experts started to assess what aspect of the fastener was causing issues. Dialogue between the teams at this stage was key, and resulted in the identification of the cause.

A section of the thread featured a nylon coating, which is often referred to as a ‘patch’. The patch offered increased integrity, ensuring that the fastener could not back out from its aperture over a prolonged service life. However, Optimas engineers were able to identify that the coating was too thick, which was causing the jamming issues during the installation of the component.